Why would Paul include “one baptism” alongside such pillars of unity as “one Spirit” and “one Lord” and “one God”? That is more of a modern question than one asked by Paul’s original readers. It is a question related to Christendom’s current confusion. Many see baptism as controversial, divisive and relatively unimportant. If they could simplify “one Lord” to be more agreeable, they might bypass His baptism by John in the Jordan River. If they could make “one faith” more agreeable, their minimal creed might avoid baptism, considering it too contentious to be a leading factor for unity.
We would be mistaken to view Ephesians through today’s distorting lenses. We cannot squeeze Ephesians into the boxes created by competing denominations. Today’s conflicts come from historical struggles. Centuries ago, major branches of Christendom drifted away from biblical teaching. They turned baptism into a ritual completely unknown in the Bible. As old traditions worsened, others protested (hence the term Protestants). Viewing the baptismal ritual as a “work,” Protestant branches rejected it. Like a pendulum, they swung in the opposite direction. They settled on the “faith only” doctrine that left no room for baptism to play an essential role in salvation. Even today, many cannot accept “one baptism” as a pillar of unity. In this matter, their protest likely has more to do with historical reaction than biblical reality. Today’s many differing baptisms are not the reality of Ephesians. The “one baptism” of Ephesians, and of the New Testament, is clear enough for unity.
“Many cannot accept ‘one baptism’.”